Improved heel-stiffener for boots and shoes



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NFEfERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHEH. WASHINGTON. o CA tut 'glam @met ,Ww

Letters Patent No. 102,7 20, dated May 3. 1870.

l!.'11e Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making' part of the same.

lis a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings form-r ing a part ot' this specification, in .which- Figure l represents a vsidefview of one -ot' my im'- proved counters;

yFigure 2 represents -a'longitudinal section of the same on line A B; and

Figure 3 represents a transverse section on line" D s i To enable those skilled .inthe art to which my invention belongs to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe the'same more in detail.

The nature of my invention consists in an improved counter for boots and shoes, made in the peculiar manner hereafter explained.

Heretot'ore counters for boots and shoes have been made ot' several pieces of' leather pasted together, or

voif leather, leather-board, or pasteboard,"of the proper thickness, cut to the proper shape, and the edges scarfed, so `as to forni a thin edge. The process requires much' time and labor, and also considerable skill, to fit them properly, and even then they cannot he made with any great degree of uniformity.

In the drawings- Figure 1 represents one of my improved counters, of the form required for a boot, the ends A A being formed nearly square, so as to be stitched into the siding. l

-For shoes, the counters would be of a somewhat different form, but would be made in the same man ner, which is asfollows:

A concave die is cut in the required form of the counter, the edges of which .are to be beveled oi, as

indicated at a a.

This die is provided with projecting pins, which enter the stock of the counter, at the `points indicated at b, t0 hold 'it in place within thepdie during the pro-4 cess of manufacture.

The leather of which the counter is to be ine/le. i..--

cut into suitable pieces, and placed upon the concave die, which is then passednnder a hammer, or other' suitable pressing device,.by means of a movable carriage, tQ which it is attached, whereby the leather is forced firmly into the die, afterl which the die, with the counter, is passed under a rotating cutter or planing-knife, which removes allsuperfluous stock from the lback of the counter, leaving it square with thei` top of the.l die, and thereby making the counter ofthe proper thickness, and also giving the proper bevel or scarng around the edges a a. l

The motion of the knife as it acts upon the counter-i is inv the direction in which the counter. is moving, which prevents the leather from crimping or doubling up during the operation, the counter being retained in position within the die by the projectiugpins, which,

A counter thus made is superior to counters mail in the ordinary manner, inasmuch as the fibers of tinl stock are forced firmly together, while, at the same time,`the beveled surface is made very smooth and,l

even. l

Counters can be made by '-iny present invention' oi' thick upper leather, which will be equal, or nearly so; to those heretofore made of the best sole leather.

The cost of manufacture is greatly reduced, and also uniformity and cheapncss are both obtained, while, at the Sametime, the quality of the counters produced is superior to those ordinarily made.

enter the side of the counter at the points indicatej l Having described myinu'n'ovements in counters for v boots and shoes, What I claim therein as new and of my invention,v and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A leather counter for boots and shoes, the rounded side of which Iis shaped by compression in a die, and the other planed of to remove the surplus stock, as shown and set forth.

lEOR-GE V. SHEFFIELD.

Witnesses:

THos. H. Doven' ALBERT E; Pinnen. 

